The Saddest Music in the World (2004), Guy Maddin, B
If this were thirty minutes shorter I’d say it was the greatest student thesis film I’ve ever seen. As a theatrically released feature, I’d say it has some definite flaws, but one must give credit for pluck and originality. Shot on a hodgepodge of stocks the picture quality ranges from your Dad’s old Super 8 to F. W. Murnau. The central premise, a talent show to determine which country’s indiginous music is the “most sad” strangely works. Isabella Rosselini and Maria de Mederios are fantastic. Former Kid in the Hall Mark McKinney is all schtick. That he resembles so many of his former sketch characters (and that KITH’s commercial bumpers were always shot in Super 
make for some inadvertant humor. I’m glad I saw this but I wish it had one more screenplay pass and a sharper cut.